Tech Tuesday: Who's who in IRT?
From Information Resources and Technologies
Welcome back!
As 2009 and the remainder of the school year settle in, we would like to re-introduce Information Resources and Technologies (IRT) to the campus community and give you a snapshot of the services we provide.
IRT is the division that supports enterprisewide information technologies and university libraries at the University of St. Thomas. IRT has seven departments: Client Services; Budgets, Acquisitions and Inventory; Information Technology; Networks and Telecom Services; University Libraries; Web and Media Services; and the Office of the Vice President.
Client Services
Client Services provides direct desktop, audio visual and consultative support to faculty, staff and students at UST.
IRT Tech Desk is the single point of contact for all technology-related questions and concerns across the university. The Tech Desk is staffed by student employees who are trained in assisting the campus community with basic issues such as password re-sets, as well as foundation-level trouble shooting and problem resolution for a wide range of technology issues.
The Rapid Response Team (RRT) is responsible for immediate break and fix support of desktop computing hardware and software issues and classroom and event space audio visual equipment. Filling the role of "technology paramedics," the RRT team works very closely with the Tech Desk to assist all constituents of the UST community.
The CORE Team provides technology training and consultation services and higher end break and fix computing and hardware support for the administrative departments on campus. CORE performs the enterprise-level management of the PC and Mac desktop environment, and also develops the image for PC and Mac platforms to ensure a smooth transition during the summer replacement cycle.
Academic Technology Consultants (ATC) provide training and consultation services to academic departments on campus geared toward effectively incorporating technology in the classroom. ATCs serve as the primary training and consultative contacts for all faculty using Blackboard.
Budgets, Acquisitions and Inventory
Budgets, Acquisitions and Inventory (BAI) is responsible for managing the IRT operating budget and the university IT equipment leasing budgets, responding to and processing requests for software, hardware and audiovisual items for multiple departments and the university. BAI manages the installation and upgrade of IT and presentation systems in instructional facilities, and the acquisition, inventory and processing of equipment for the annual replacement of faculty, staff and lab desktop computing resources.
Information Technology
The Information Technology (IT) Department maintains the back-end servers that are used for most applications and technical services at the University of St. Thomas. IT is comprised of 30 people divided into four support teams: Operations and Technical Support, Application Development, Technical Process Analysts, and Business Intelligence.
IT's Operations and Technical Support (OTS) Team supports more than 180 servers running over 60 applications. The equipment is split between two data centers, one on the St. Paul campus and one on the Minneapolis campus. Whether you're sending an e-mail, doing an assignment in Blackboard, or even just logging into a computer, odds are you're interacting with one of the servers that the OTS maintains.
The Information Security Team is responsible for a combination of network and system security including the policies, procedures and technologies to be used for this purpose. These systems include the network firewalls, wireless network registration system, enterprise monitoring systems, and IP addressing. The team also is the point of contact for IRT on all investigations and complaints regarding data and information security or compliance-related issues.
The Application Development Team works to customize and evolve Banner and other enterprise-level applications to ensure that they meet the university's business and reporting needs. The Technical Process Analysts (TPA) Team works directly with clients, managing technology implementation projects and providing support for enterprise level applications such as Banner, Optix and Flatbridge.
The Business Intelligence (BI) Team works with UST departments to ensure that reporting and data-gathering needs are met. BI also provides training for clients on Cognos, the university's primary reporting tool.
Networks and Telecom Services
Network and Telecom Services (NTS) provides all voice and data service for the university including traditional telephone, Voice Over IP (VOIP), voice mail, unified communications, wired and wireless data, commercial Internet connectivity, and Internet 2 connectivity.
NTS works very closely within all areas of IRT to ensure that our data networks are operational for all campus constituents and residents.
University Libraries
University Libraries offers library services (circulation, course reserves, periodicals, inter-library loans and reference consultations) and study spaces at three different libraries in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The libraries now provide access to a substantial collection of electronic resources (available to all UST faculty, staff and students via the Internet) and are developing cutting-edge digital initiatives to engage the academic learning environment at UST.
O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center, St. Paul, is located on north campus and houses most of the libraries' print collections, UST archives and Information Commons.
Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library, St. Paul, is located on south campus and, while it primarily serves the St. Paul Seminary, it also welcomes the entire community to use its resources including some of the region's best theological materials.
The Charles J. Keffer Library, Minneapolis, is located in Opus Hall and serves the campus community with a focus on the graduate programs housed on the Minneapolis campus. Mirroring the O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center, the Minneapolis Information Commons is located in Keffer Library.
Web and Media Services
WMS is both a creative and a technically skilled team offering consultation, production and project management services for interactive Web and media strategies at UST.
The Project Management Team in WMS works directly with clients, gathering requirements and business-process analysis for specific Web development needs. It also provides support for enterprise-level Web applications like Blackboard.
The Interface Design Team builds the user interface for UST Web sites and custom built Web-based applications with an eye toward functionality, aesthetics and usability.
The Development Team's software engineers create Web sites and cust
om built Web-based software solutions based on the requirements of the UST client.
The Production Team's media specialists provide scalable media production and consultation services for internal video and audio productions, major institutional events, streaming media, and digital media conversion and duplication. The Production Team also provides direct technology and pedagogical support for academic production courses, the Internet radio station (KUST), and media editing lab.
Office of the Vice President
Dr. Sam Levy is the not only the vice president for IRT, he is also the university's chief information officer. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is responsible for, among other things: overall management responsibility for IRT direction, policy, budgets and operations; focus on strategic development of new technologies and information resources management; ensuring that IRT is aligned with university strategic directions; and setting the pace for achieving the IRT mission and vision. The OVP is advised by the IRT cabinet, which consists of the directors and various associate directors of IRT.
Arlene Robinson leads the OVP division support team to meet divisionwide needs for the consolidation and coordination of IRT administrative, training and communication services.
